


The Beast Inside

by Krank



Series: Hell Bound [5]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Demons, Fluff, Humour, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-12
Updated: 2014-08-12
Packaged: 2018-02-12 22:30:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2126910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Krank/pseuds/Krank
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Destiny comes calling in the form of a handsome angel, leaving Harry and Niall confused and a bit scared. All is well, though, until demons begin to amass in Arkansas.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beast Inside

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I apologize greatly for the roughly seven month wait for this chapter. It gave me a lot of hassle, I fell out of love and then back in love with it, and somewhere in there I still managed to have a bit of a social life. The second half of Part V will come later. It won’t be as long, and it will be quite dramatic. Thanks for sticking around! xo

“ _I am an angel of heaven.”_

The silence in the living room of Paul’s house was loaded. Niall was completely still as he continued to press himself against the cushions of the couch. Harry remained pinned to the wall, staring down the supernatural being in front of him, unable to lift a finger enough to scratch his nose if he wanted to.

He felt angry, being bested by something that he couldn’t even identify. The earthquake and the noise and the light – he’d never seen, n’or heard of something like it. Demons were all smoke and fire, and spirits tended to just appear and disappear, hardly ever having enough vengeance in them to bodily hold someone against their will. They liked to open cupboard doors and spook cats, mostly.

But this guy? No, he was an entirely new breed of monster.

Unfortunately, when Harry got angry, he tended to get cocky. “Yeah,” he snorted, the corner of his lip raising in to a smirk. “And I’m Jesus.”

The reaction was instant. The big brown eyes of their new guest shimmered with light as his face morphed from steady indifference to something terrifying. Harry’s heart started to race as the man stepped towards him, hand raised again. He clamped his eyes shut, ready for the onslaught, hoping that it didn’t kill him.

“Stop it!” A yell pierced the heated moment. “Don’t hurt him.”

The blow never came. When Harry opened his eyes again the creature had its back to him, and it was walking steadily towards Niall.

“Niall!” Harry barked. “Run!” Though as he struggled against the invisible force pinning him to the wall, Niall didn’t budge. He looked up at the imposing man as he approached, a look of slight wonder on his bruised face. The being raised his hand, and Harry began to panic even more. “Niall, get out of here! Don’t let him touch you!”

Niall made no move to get up and scurry away, though, much to Harry’s frustration. Instead, he closed his eyes as the stranger placed a hand on top of his head, the connection triggering a glowing light. It pulsed briefly, and then it was over. Niall was still seated safely on the couch, seemingly unharmed.

“Ni?” Harry called across the room, craning his neck to try and see him better.

The being stepped aside, awarding Harry a view of Niall’s unmarked face. His split lip was gone, his swollen eye back to normal. He had been _healed_. Harry’s heart felt as if it would burst from his chest.

“You _are_ an angel, aren’t you?” Niall asked, lifting his shirt and smoothing his hands over his previously bruised ribs, the skin once again pale and unblemished.

“I am. My name is Liamandriel,” it said again, an easy smile on it’s face.

“Could you let him go, please?” Niall asked, looking past the angel and locking eyes with his Harry.

At that, Liamandriel turned towards Harry once more. “If he decides to cooperate.”

Harry rolled his eyes and nodded. Seconds later, the pressure holding him back was released, and he slid down to wall and back on to his feet. As soon as he was mobile he crossed the room and knelt beside Niall, taking his face in his hands and checking for himself. Niall smiled. “I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?” Harry asked, eyebrows knitted. He traced Niall’s lip with his thumb.

Niall nodded. “He healed me.”

Harry sighed, standing back up at his full height. He attempted to appear imposing toward the angel, unsure if it was working. He didn’t like being at a disadvantage to an enemy. Everything had a weakness, and Harry vowed to find the creature’s eventually.

“Angels don’t exist,” he said coldly, folding his arms across his chest.

Liamandriel’s calm expression didn’t budge. “Demons exist, don’t they? Hell exists, the devil exists… And so does heaven. So do angels.”

Harry had to admit that the argument made sense, though he still had his doubts. “Angels are supposed to be good, aren’t they? Looking after humanity? Why toss me up against a wall?” The angel was quiet, his expression a bit perplexed. He was looking at Harry as if he had never seen someone like him before. “People on earth are down here suffering, and us hunters are taking care of all the monsters. Surely that should be _your_ job? Shouldn’t _you_ have to deal with hell? Where have angels _been_ for the last couple thousands of years, huh?”

The leather-clad being’s face finally cracked, twisting in to a grimace. “We are servants of the Lord, not man. We act on God’s will.”

Harry seethed, stepping closer to the angel in front of him. He could feel the power radiating from it’s body. “Well that’s bullshit.”

“Harry!” Niall gasped, reaching up and grabbing his forearm. “Stop it. I don’t want him to hurt you again.”

“Let him!” Harry spat. “Bring it on, feathers.”

Liamandriel frowned. “I am not here to fight you. In fact, I have no interest in you at all.” He carefully stepped around Harry, gliding across the carpet as if he weren’t even touching the ground. He stopped directly in front of Niall. “I am here for _him_.”

As all the colour drained from the blonde’s face, Harry crossed the floor and placed himself between his boyfriend and the offending creature. “What is that supposed to mean? What could you possible need from him, he isn’t even a hunter!”

Liamandriel looked Harry in the eye. “Niall has a job. Heaven needs him.”

“W-what? I -” Niall stumbled over his words, voice sounding strained. “I’m just a bartender from Arizona, I’m not even that religious!”

Harry turned to Niall and crouched down, placing a hand on his knee. “Don’t pay attention to what he’s saying. It’s all lies!” Niall nodded, grasping the hand tightly.

“I don’t speak lies, hunter,” the angel snapped. “There is a lot he needs to know. He was safely tucked away in Gold Canyon up until a month ago. We were keeping an eye on him so the demons couldn’t find him, protecting him, until heaven had need of him.”

Harry stiffened. “Had _need_ of him?” He didn’t like the way the angel was talking about Niall. It was possessive, and as if Niall weren’t even in the room with them. He was addressing Niall as if he were an _object_ , and Harry wasn’t pleased.

“Demons?” Niall practically whined.

Harry watched as Liamandriel’s expression became soft again, giving some semblance of a smile as he looked over Harry’s head at Niall and finally spoke directly to him. “You are special. There are things happening here on earth that need heaven’s attention. An uprising, if you will.” The angel’s eyes then shifted back to Harry. “Surely the hunter knows all about that. I’m sure he’s familiar with Eusebius.”

Harry’s blood ran cold. Though Niall tried to keep him back, he managed to get to his feet, fists shaking at his sides. His heart began to race, the image of two blood red eyes searing on the backs of his eyelids every time he blinked. He barely allowed Louis to speak of the demon that haunted him, let alone some self-righteous pigeon in a leather jacket. “What of him?” Harry asked slowly.

Liamandriel pursed his lips. “It’s really none of your business.”

“That monster is every bit of my business. Tell me what you know or so help me -” He stopped when he heard Niall hiss his name behind him.

The angel sighed, turning on his heels and beginning to pace the room. “You know what Eusebius does. He orphans small children, and he’s been doing it since before you were born. What you don’t know is the purpose of it all. The demon is marking these children with his blood, tainting them from an early age to grow in to strong enough humans to successfully house a demon. He’s making vessels.”

Harry cringed at the thought of a demon’s blood being given to a little baby. It was sick, and the implications were alarming. Despite all of that, he still didn’t understand what any of it had to do with Niall.

“Eusebius is building an army, with humans fuelled by demon blood. It makes a demon even stronger, and Eusebius himself has chosen his ultimate vessel, the body in which he will rise up and stake his claim on the world. This… _man_ was tainted with demon blood when he was a child, and it has been festering in him ever since. If Eusebius were to successfully inhabit that body, he would be nearly invincible. In retaliation, heaven chose their _own_ vessel, a brave soul who will host the archangel Michael, to aid in taking down this threat to the human race and all of God’s creature.” The angel turned abruptly, locking eyes with Niall.

Everything suddenly clicked in Harry’s mind. “No,” he blurted, eyes wide. “No, Niall isn’t going to have any part in this.”

“That isn’t for you to decide, hunter,” Liamandriel challenged him with a look. “This has been written for centuries. This is God’s will.”

“Well God can go screw himself because Niall isn’t a weapon!”

“Harry, stop it! You’ll make him angry again!” Niall jumped to his feet, pressing himself to Harry’s back. The feel of Niall so close to him eased his mind by a fraction.

Liamandriel continued, “hunters have taken care of demons and monsters for as long as humanity has existed. It wasn’t our concern what was happening here on earth. You were able to fend for yourselves. However, what’s coming is far larger than anything mere mortals can manage. Eusebius is gaining in strength, to the point where it will be nearly impossible to get rid of him. And so heaven is going to help, and to help, we need a vessel.”

Harry bit his lip, stopping himself from spitting anymore hateful things. He could barely process what he was hearing, the thought too much for him to fathom. It was some sort of joke, some sort of _test…_ Heaven, hell, angels – it was mad. He’d grown up in a world where everything was black and white, good and evil. He knew who the monsters were, and he knew how to get rid of them. It was how he had been raised, the only life he knew… And in one night it had all been turned on it’s head. “Why Niall, though?” He asked quietly. “Why not someone else? Someone like me?” Harry felt Niall’s hands tighten in the fabric of his t-shirt. “I was born for this sort of thing. Eusebius killed my family, I want to be the one that takes him down, it’s my _right_!”

The angel in front of him was silent for a moment. His eyes bore in to Harry’s, the muscles in his jaw shifting under his skin. “That’s impossible.”

“And why is that?” Harry practically growled.

“Because _you_ are the demon vessel. You have his blood coursing through your veins. You’re practically an abomination.”

Harry stared in disbelief as the words registered in his brain. He felt Niall’s arms wrap around him completely, and it was then that he began to struggle, half-heartedly jerking around to try and get at the creature in front of him. Niall held his ground, though, effectively stopping him from lunging at the supernatural being and getting himself in to any more trouble.

Sweat dripped down Harry’s forehead. “I… I don’t understand,” he stuttered. He was momentarily transported back to the night in his childhood home, when he’d locked eyes with the red-eyed demon as the fire burned around them. A chill went up his spine. “He… He never touched me. How could I _possibly_ have demon blood in me?” Harry was unsure if he was prepared for the answer he knew he would get.

“Because,” Liamandriel began. “When Eusebius killed your family when you were fifteen, that wasn’t the first time you’d crossed paths.”

Harry’s knees gave out and he collapsed on to the rug beneath him, Niall following him down with his arms still holding him tightly.

“He goes to children when they are six months old, like he did you. He’d done it countless other times, and still does it to this day, tainting them with his blood. If he is at all interrupted, he torches the family, leaving the child an orphan so that no one will know what happened. This child becomes part of his web, destined to one day be inhabited by one of his demons.”

An image of his brother’s face flashed in Harry’s mind. “Then Louis -”

“Louis as well.”

Harry didn’t know what to think. His thoughts were jumbled, overcome by too much information. He felt sick, like something sinister was stirring around in his stomach, festering inside of him. Everything he knew, everything he thought he’d been sure of, was only half of the truth. There was an entire other part of his life, the part where he had been marked as an infant. What he didn’t understand, was why Eusebius had returned to his family fifteen years later to kill them. If the demon already had what he wanted, why had they all been killed?

On top of that, Niall was roped in to it as well and it wasn’t even Harry’s fault. They were always _destined_ to meet, though just under different circumstances. Niall was supposed to fight him and win, as a warrior of heaven, an angel wearing him like a costume. It was completely ludicrous. “None of this is going to happen,” Harry said finally, voice as even as he could manage with all of the thoughts swimming around in his head.

Liamandriel cocked his head, back to looking perplexed and Harry wanted to punch the look right off of his face.

“This isn’t going to happen.” He repeated firmly. “That bastard isn’t going to amass a demon army, I’m not going to give myself to him, and Niall is not going to be heaven’s bitch. None of this will take place, because I’m going to end it before it can even begin.”

The angel let out a puff of air. “I understand you are upset -”

Harry didn’t let him finish, repeating his previous declaration. “ _I’m going to end it._ ”

It was at that particular moment that Louis burst in the front door, arms full of take-away bags as he disturbed the intense moment.

“Bad news: our favourite restaurant doesn’t open until seven,” he huffed, kicking off his trainers and dropping the food on the kitchen table. “Good news: McDonald’s is open twenty four hours so I got as much stuff as I could afford on a hunters salary, which is a joke because we don’t really make money.” He giggled to himself, shrugging off his coat. “So! Everyone, dig -” As Louis turned towards the doorway to the living room, he stopped short. His eyes widened as they fell on Harry and Niall crouched on the floor, and the imposing man standing over them. He lunged for the shotgun propped against the wall beside him.

“Louis, no!” Harry pushed himself in to action, climbing to his feet and rushing towards his brother. “It’s okay, he’s not a threat.”

“Well then maybe you can kindly tell me who _he_ is, then.” Louis looked over Harry’s shoulder, triggering the pump-action rifle and ejecting a spent shell on to the kitchen floor. Before the taller boy could reply, the being crossed the living room towards them.

“I am Liamandriel,” he announced rather proudly like before. “I am an angel of heaven.” He painted a rather charming smile on his face.

Harry watched Louis’s eyes travel all the way down the angel’s body and back up to his face. Then, his brother cocked an eyebrow, shifting his weight and jutting out his hip. “Right, and I’m -” Harry clamped his hand over Louis’ mouth before he could finish.

“Listen to the man, Lou,” he warned.

“I am done here, for now,” Liamandriel said suddenly, stepping away from them and returning to Niall’s side. “It’s time to go.”

Harry inhaled sharply. “ _What?_ ”

The angel gave him a particularly frigid look. “I’m taking Niall with me. He needs to be guarded and protected.” He reached out a hand to the blond, who had crawled up off of the floor and seated himself on the couch again. Niall eyed the hand warily.

“Like hell you are!” Harry shouted. “He is perfectly safe here with me!”

“Yes, that is quite apparent, considering the state he was in when I arrived,” the angel fired back, surprisingly sarcastic. Harry looked away, the familiar feeling of shame pooling in his chest as he was once again assaulted by the memory of Niall bruised and beaten, bound to the chair in their motel room.

“I’m not going with you,” the Irishman said suddenly, rising from the couch and putting distance between him and the angel, seeking out Harry instead. “I’m staying here.”

“I strongly encourage you to come with me, Niall,” Liamandriel replied firmly.

Niall nodded, folding his arms across his chest. Harry took the opportunity to slide a comforting arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders. “I appreciate that, really, but this is where I need to be.”

Without so much as another word the angel disappeared with a soft, fluttering sound of beating wings, his exit much smoother than his entrance. The room was left still and silent.

“Well at least he’s respectful,” Harry sighed, scratching his head.

“What the _fuck_ just happened?” Louis shouted suddenly, dropping his gun and marching further in to the living room. “There was a fucking _angel_ here? Angels fucking _exist_?What the _fuck_ did he want with Niall?”

“Language!” Harry barked, earning an eye roll from his brother. “Look, I promise I will tell you everything, but not right now.” Harry pulled Niall along as he headed towards the stairs. He knew he probably wouldn’t sleep, but he needed to be alone… Well, alone with _Niall_.

“Oh, fine!” Louis threw his hands up in the air as he watched them leave. “I just went out at four thirty in the morning to get breakfast for all of us, only to come home and find a bloody _angel_ in my living room talking to my brother, but you just go ahead and rest! Just don’t expect there to be any food left when you wake up. I’ll feed it to the birds if I have to!”

“Goodnight, Lou.”

  


Upstairs, Niall broke away from Harry when they made it to his bedroom door. He took a step back, a strained smile on his face. “I’ll see you in a couple of hours.”

Harry frowned at the sudden space between them. “What do you mean? You’re not going to sleep with me?” He watched a battle go on behind Niall’s eyes. The blond glanced at Harry’s door, hugging his arms around himself protectively.

Harry could feel the chasm open up between them again now that they were alone. It seemed to have only been made wider by all of the things they’d just learned. Their destinies, the demon blood in Harry’s veins, heaven, hell… It was a _lot_. It made hunting vampires seem much more appealing than the truths they had uncovered; a fate that Harry was desperately going to try and change, if only for Niall’s sake.

“I don’t… I think I’m just going to sleep in my own room,” Niall replied quietly.

“Why?” It was a rude thing to ask, though after all they’d been through together, the last thing Harry wanted was for his love to start pulling away from him. Niall was the only thing keeping him from losing his mind, he could feel it.

The blond shuffled his feet, looking uncomfortable and a bit defensive. “I just… I need my space! I mean, after yesterday -”

Harry nodded. “Of course!” He said quickly, interrupting Niall before he could continue. “Whatever you want.” He leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to his temple.

“Goodnight. I love you.” Niall tried for a smile, though it was strained. Regardless, his words penetrated Harry’s skin and warmed his soul.

“I love you, too.”

Roughly an hour after Harry had fallen in to a fitful sleep, he awoke to the feeling of Niall crawling in to his bed behind him, cuddling against his back and pressing his forehead between his shoulder blades.

“Are you okay?” Harry asked in a sleepy voice, grateful for the familiar warmth of his boyfriend.

He heard a sigh. “Yeah,” Niall replied. “Sorry I woke you.”

The room was growing lighter and lighter as the sun got ready to peak over the horizon, and Harry hoped to fall asleep again before it became too bright to do so. “Did you want to talk about anything?”

He felt Niall’s head give a subtle shake against his back. “Not really. Was lonelier than I expected.”

Harry smiled. “We’ll be okay, you know,” he mumbled. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” The words were an obvious statement, something that Harry firmly believed in, though they hung in the air between them, a bit stale after what had happened in Aurora.

Niall’s response was just a whispered _'I know'_.

Harry would do anything for Niall. He’d taken a break from hunting in order to be with him, had fallen so hard for him in such a short period of time. It was terrifying and suffocating, and at the same time it was beautiful and pure and it was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. He’d thought he wasn’t allowed to be happy again after he lost his family. He’d been ready to live a miserable like until Niall had come along. He needed to do right by him, even if heaven had decided something completely different.

His thoughts turned to the revelation of the demon blood inside of him. He didn’t know what it meant, or if it was already affecting him. He didn’t feel any different, though at the same time he had no idea what it could do. Liamandriel had said it made a human stronger in order to better carry a demon, though that meant nothing to Harry. He’d need to do research in order to determine what was going to happen to him, if anything.

“Ni?” He asked in to the darkness. There was something on the edge of his mind that he couldn’t ignore. “Are you scared of me? I mean, with the demon blood and -”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Niall cut him off. “You’re about as scary as a baby seal.”

Harry chuckled, slotting his fingers in between Niall’s and pulling his arm more tightly around him. It felt nice to be the little spoon for once.

———

Nashville, Tennessee was an incredible city, with bright lights and the feeling of country music in it’s bones. Niall was sure he would have loved it if it weren’t for the monster lurking in it’s shadows, enchanting it’s victims in to doing horrendous things. It seemed the music city was being inhabited by a _siren_ , who had been presenting itself as a pretty young country singer, using her song and pretty face during open mic night at local bars to lure her victims, then sealing the deal with a kiss and the swap of her toxic saliva.

That’s how Niall had found himself backstage at an empty club in the middle of the day, running around brandishing a bronze knife like Paul had explained. He’d been hunting with Harry, though the brunette had gone _missing_ some time ago, which could really only mean one thing.

Niall kicked in a locked door (he’d had some practice), to reveal a dressing room of sorts, where performers might prepare for their shows. And there, on a couch in the middle of the room, was Harry, swapping spit with a slender blonde who was perched on his lap.

“Oh, for the love of God,” Niall sighed. The siren looked up as he spoke, and he could see the haggard reflection of the creature in the mirror on the far wall. He grimaced. “Wow, you are quite disgusting.”

“That’s no way to speak to a lady!” It hissed, climbing off of Harry’s prone form. As soon as it’s weight was gone, Harry looked up at Niall, his eyes unnaturally glazed. “Kill him!” The siren cried, and Harry jumped to his feet, making his way towards him.

“I’m getting really tired of this routine,” Niall moaned, deflecting Harry’s swing and grabbing his wrist, twisting his arm backward like Louis had shown him. While he had Harry immobilized, he slid the bronze dagger across the palm of his hand, making sure to get some of his boyfriend’s infected blood on the weapon.

Harry emitted a painful cry.

Without wasting any time, Niall shoved him down and then lunged at the siren, burying the knife to the hilt in it’s chest. It screeched in pain and stumbled back, the layers of silky hair and flawless skin peeling away to reveal the ghastly creature lurking inside. Sirens were _hideous_ , and it was suddenly quite obvious why they masqueraded as beautiful people. With a final wheeze the thing sunk to the floor, completely lifeless.

“Well thank God that’s over!” Harry said, rolling over on to his back on the floor, the siren’s death having broken the spell he was under. “I’m glad I found her!”

Niall rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you found her and then she lured you in! Why is it always _me_ that has to do the dirty work? Aren’t _you_ supposed to be the hunter?”

Harry huffed and sat up, but not before being acquainted with the wound on his hand. He winced. “You _cut_ me?”

“I had to!” Niall argued back, reaching out and helping him off of the ground. “ _Blood of the infected_ , and all that.”

Harry pouted. “Still, though… _Rude_.”

“Rude like you making out with someone in front of me?” Niall fired back. He watched the look of horror cross Harry’s face and received a sick sense of satisfaction from it. It was hardly Harry’s fault, though Niall was in the mood for some banter, and it _had_ stung a bit to see him so occupied with someone else.

“I was poisoned! You know that!” Harry frowned, grabbing the ankles of the dead siren as Niall grabbed the wrists. They began the slow process of dragging it to the back door of the club, where the Mustang was waiting for them.

“But you were pretty in to it,” Niall bit back his grin as he watched Harry become flustered.

“Dammit, Niall! You _know_ that… _Fuck_!”

Harry slammed the trunk of the car once the body was safely inside, waiting to be tossed when they were far enough out of town. He dusted his hands off on his jeans, leaning against the back right fender of his baby. “Well, at least we know for sure that I prefer blondes,” he said with a sly grin.

Niall raised an eyebrow. “That’s funny, because I’m really a brunette.”

Harry threw his hands up in the air in a silent admittance of defeat.

It had been weeks since they had been visited by Liamandriel in Paul’s living room. They hadn’t heard from him since, and once Louis had been briefed about all that they had found out, they decided to put it behind them. It was still all a bit unfathomable, and it was easier to just forget instead of dwelling on some ancient prophecy that had been decided before they were even born. They were hunters, and they were going to confront Eusebius on their own terms, heaven and hell be damned. They weren’t puppets, and there was no way Harry was letting Niall say yes to playing host to an angel. He’d die before he’d let that happen.

Thus, they’d continued their job, taking leads in various states. There had been a vengeful spirit haunting a university dormitory in Wyoming, a ghoul in South Carolina, and a Rugarou in Maine, not to mention the siren they had just taken care of. Niall had found his own rhythm in hunting, and was getting used to all of the ins and outs. He was a natural, though, and Harry had expressed pride in his progress. It wasn’t an easy job, but Niall figured he’d proven his worth ten fold (and always seemed to be the one saving Harry’s backside).

Louis had gone back to tracking omens like he always did, keeping in touch with them when he could.

After they had disposed of the creature’s corpse in a ditch on a rural dirt road, Niall wasted no time in climbing over the centre console of the car in to Harry’s lap. He had found that, over the past few weeks, the adrenaline fuelled thrill of the hunt usually got him a bit _excited_ , and they had started celebrating a job well done with a lazy fuck back in their motel room, or if they couldn’t wait that long, a quickie in the car on some back road.

“You’re mine,” Niall whispered against Harry’s lips, freeing himself as best he could in the confined space.

Harry grinned, nipping at his jaw as he stroked them both in his hand. “God, I sort of love this jealous side of you.”

“Well you better not get used to it,” Niall murmured, rocking against him to feel more delicious friction.

Harry shook his head against his collar bone, where he was pressing wet kisses. “You’re all I want. I’ll drive to the ends of the earth with you.”

“Fuck, you’re so cheesy.”

———

Niall was passed out in the passenger seat when they crossed the border in to Kansas. Harry wasn’t sure where they were headed, but as he drove further out in to the middle of no where, an idea came to him. He checked the GPS on his phone and made a hasty u-turn, fishtailing in the loose gravel and rousing Niall from his sleep.

“What’s happening?” He blurted, grabbing on to the dashboard to steady himself. He blinked wearily out of the windshield.

“Sorry,” Harry chuckled. “Change of plans. Well, not so much a _change,_ rather I actually know where we’re headed now.”

“Oh,” Niall scratched his head, sliding down in his seat and placing his feet up.

“Did you sleep well?” Harry asked casually.

Niall was quiet for a moment, looking anywhere but at him. “No, not really. Was having a nightmare.”

Harry gripped the steering wheel tighter. Niall’s nightmares had begun shortly after their time in Aurora. It was like some sick initiation in to the hunter life, having your own demons to fight in your sleep. “A nightmare about _me_ , again?”

“A nightmare about the _shifter_ ,” Niall corrected. He repeatedly made it clear to Harry that he could distinguish between the two, though there were still times when Niall would flinch away from Harry’s touch, or shy away from his arms when they slept at night. Harry tried not to take it personally, but at the end of the day, it was _his_ face that haunted his boyfriend’s dreams.

“Where are we going?” Niall asked, the enthusiastic tone in his voice blatantly trying to lighten the mood.

Harry grinned. “It’s a surprise!”

———

The ‘surprise’ ended up being a bar in the heart of Kansas that looked as if it belonged in an old western movie. Niall couldn’t tell if it was original, or if it had been built later on to reflect that era, but it was a monster of a building, complete with greying clapboard siding, and a slightly failing front porch. It clearly needed some love and affection.

“What is this place?” Niall asked, craning his neck to look up at the wooden sign hanging on the front of the building between two old, foggy windows.

“ _This_ is Nick’s Tavern. The owner is a friend of mine, and he opened this place as an unofficial gathering spot for hunters a couple of years ago.” Harry beamed.

“You have friends everywhere, don’t you?” Niall asked rhetorically, undoing his seatbelt and climbing out of the car.

The inside of the pub looked far better than the outside. The walls were dark panelling, and the bar and tables were all polished wood. Behind the counter were shelves fully stocked with all sorts of alcohol, and fancy beer taps stood proudly off to one side. The walls were decorated with license plates, road signs and old personal photos in typical roadhouse fashion.

There were already a couple patrons hunched over sipping from pint glasses, despite it only being three o’clock in the afternoon.

“Is that you, Styles?”

Niall looked up as a booming voice rang through the room. Standing behind the counter was a grinning man, brown hair styled up off of his face in a floppy quiff. He looked like a living caricature, with prominent cheekbones and a gleaming smile.

“Grimmy!” Harry called, approaching the bar. Niall followed a few steps behind him.

“It’s been way too long since I’ve seen that handsome face,” the man called ‘Grimmy’gushed, patting Harrys’ cheek affectionately. “You look even better than when I last saw you.”

“And you look much the same,” Harry replied teasingly. “Still managing to keep this place running, I see?”

“Of course!” Grimmy threw his hands in the air flamboyantly. “They love me here! You love me, right Randall?” The lanky bartender gestured at an older, gruff gentleman sitting on a stool across from him.

All he got in response was a grunt.

“He’s a man of few words, my Randall,” Grimmy said with mock affection.

Harry rolled his eyes. “You’re still as ridiculous as you’ve always been. To change the subject, I’ve brought someone to meet you.” Harry reached out and grabbed Niall’s arm, ushering him forward so that he was on full display. “This is Niall. Niall, this is my friend Nick Grimshaw.”

“Oh look at you!” Grimmy exclaimed, giving Niall a blatant once-over. “That hair and those eyes – you are something else. Tell me, Harold,” he leaned over the counter towards Harry, cupping his hand by his mouth as if he were telling a secret. “How did someone like _you_ manage to shack up with someone like _him_?”

Niall failed to keep his laughter in. Beside him, Harry was looking mildly offended.

Niall had always thought the two of them looked good together – even the girls at the restaurant used to tell him that. Harry was roughly five inches taller than he was, making for just the right amount of height difference. Harry had bulkier muscle than Niall did, though he was trying to work on that. Growing up he was always small for his age, and his over-active metabolism left him a bit wiry. In summary, though, Niall thought they were rather perfect together _._

“Ni?” Niall looked up as Harry spoke. He was backing away from him, pointing over his shoulder. “I need to go speak with Nick for a moment. Did you want to join us?”

Niall declined the invitation with a shake of his head. He was getting used to not being the only person in Harry’s life like he had been back in Gold Canyon, and it had clearly been a while since the brunette had seen Grimmy. Niall imagined they had a lot of catching up to do, considering all that had happened in such a short amount of time.

“What if I want another beer?” The man called Randall barked, raising a large, wrinkled hand.

“Oh, I think you’ve had enough, Randall!” Grimmy called back as he made to duck out of a back door out in to the sun with Harry. “Take a walk, maybe. Call up that family of yours you abandoned back in Texas ten years ago.” The door shut behind him and the room was cast in to silence, save for the clinking of glasses and the tick of the clock on the wall, along with the distinct grumble of _'that fairy knows too much'._

Niall tried not to make eye contact with any of the other patrons as he shuffled around in his spot at the end of the bar. He assumed they were all hunters, though they were a breed that he didn’t quite fit in with. Their worn faces displayed the years they’d been in the business, deep lines set in by grief and turmoil. He briefly wondered if Harry’s face would ever bear the scars of too much time spent doing what they did. As selfish as it was, he hoped it wouldn’t, because Harry had a beautiful face.

The bell above the main entrance chimed, signalling the arrival of a couple new guests, and it was at that point that Niall realized that Grimmy still wasn’t back yet, and there was no one to tend the bar.

“Angels?” Grimmy asked, raising an eyebrow. He had welcomed Harry in to his ‘office’, which was actually just an old sofa on the back porch of the tavern. He’d flopped back on to it, Harry choosing instead to lean against the railing. It seemed sturdy enough, despite the state of the exterior of the building. He’d began to tell Nick all about what had happened to them the month before, though as usual, his old friend was terrible at letting him finish a story.

“Just one angel,” Harry replied. “He showed up at the house after we got back from our hunt in Aurora.”

Nick pursed his lips. “Angels don’t exist, are you sure that it wasn’t just some creature pulling your leg?”

“I felt it,” Harry folded his arms across his chest. “I could feel it fill the entire room. He attacked me, even, though not enough to hurt me. Just to restrain me.”

“And he was there for _Niall_?” Nick repeated what Harry had told him. “The kid that you found in the middle of no where is wanted by an _angel_?”

Harry nodded. He didn’t like it, either. He’d tried to put it out of his mind – they both had – though all he kept thinking about was the ‘destiny’ that Liamandriel had recited to them. It was foolish. Destinies didn’t exist. Harry believed that you mapped out your own future, made your own decisions. The angel had never returned, either, so he was chalking it up to a silly scare tactic. Obviously it wasn’t important enough to warrant anymore visits.

Harry chose to keep his whole part in the story from Grimmy. He wasn’t sure how the older man would take it, or how he would react. If it was true, then there was demon blood coursing through his veins, and he still had no idea what it could do to him. Thus, he felt it best to keep it a secret until he knew more. The thought still sickened him, and he wished he could claw it out of his body.

Harry looked up as he heard the sound of an approaching car. An old station wagon appeared around the side of the building, rolling to a stop near the porch steps. A man got out, a grocery bag in hand. “What the hell, Nicholas?” He barked, jogging up the steps. “Who the hell is inside looking after the customers?”

The man’s name was Matt, or ‘Finchy’, and he helped to run the old tavern, practically running it by himself, finances and all, while Grimmy acted like some sort of tacky hood ornament. Harry wasn’t sure how they ever got along well enough to go in to business together, because they were completely opposite personalities.

“Oh, Finchy, calm down. Those lumps in there can take care of themselves,” Nick waved his hand, reclining further on the couch and taking another drag of his cigarette.

In return, Matt loomed over him, trying to be as menacing as possible. Grimmy eventually gave in to their little game, and trudged inside, a curse under his breath. Matt held the door open behind him, nodding at Harry. “Hello, Harry, how are you?”

Harry shrugged as he passed. “Oh, you know, same old.”

As they all stepped back in to the main room of the tavern, they were greeted by a chorus of laughter, which seemed terribly out of place in a room full of hunters. Niall was stood behind the bar, a wide grin on his face as all the men across from him chuckled. He poured a shot of whiskey and slid it across the counter to a customer.

Matt had a look of wonder on his face. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

As he continued to watch his boyfriend in action, Harry felt a twinge of pain in his heart. Niall was so relaxed and comfortable, conversing with strangers and serving up drinks. He had a beautiful, genuine smile on his face. His happiness was bittersweet to Harry, because while it was wonderful to see, it was so fleeting. It was in those moments that Harry realized Niall didn’t smile nearly enough anymore.

The Irishman suddenly noticed their presence and stepped away from the bar, looking sheepish. “Sorry, I just… You know, some more people came in, and -”

“Can we keep this one, Finchy?” Randall asked. “He’s certainly a lot friendlier than that other one.”

“I’m right here!” Grimmy snapped, stomping behind the counter and glaring at the older man.

Niall shied away even more, inching towards Harry. “It’s all yours! Oh – I left the tips I got in the tumbler by the sink.”

Nick stared at the small glass filled with bills. “You _tipped_ him?” He growled at the men lined up at the counter. “I haven’t seen a tip from any of you assholes since we opened this place!”

“Well maybe that’s why, Nicholas,” Matt scolded. He nodded to Niall as the blonde made it over to them. “Thanks for taking care of the place, mate.”

“No problem, it’s the most comfortable I’ve been in a long time!”

Matt raised an eyebrow, and Harry suddenly realized where his mind was going. “No!” He said firmly, slinging an arm around his boyfriend. “Niall is mine. You’re stuck with Grimmy.”

“Fine!” Matt rolled his eyes. “You two want a room tonight? I can’t promise it’ll be swanky, but it’s a real bed.”

Harry grinned. They had been sleeping in the car the past couple of nights, Nashville having been a quick in-and-out hunt. They had tried to snuggle up across the backseat, though had quickly discovered that Titanic had been one big lie because there was barely enough room to lie down let alone have steamy, romantic sex. “I thought you’d never ask!”

  


Much to Finchy’s dismay, Grimmy closed the bar early, shooing all of the hunters out in to the night. Niall truly didn’t understand how the place kept running, but he assumed that as long as they continued to serve alcohol, the hunters would come.

They all ate dinner together, the first hearty meal that Harry and Niall had had since they left Paul’s house weeks ago. It felt good to have a relaxing chat with friends, and even though Niall didn’t know them that well, he still felt like he fit in just fine. He thought Grimmy was hilarious, and that Mathew’s annoyance was just a front for how fond he was.

When dinner was done, Grimmy lured Harry back downstairs to the bar to finish the conversation that Finchy had ‘ _so rudely interrupted’_ and also maybe consume a couple of drinks _._ Harry invited Niall to join them again, though he declined; instead choosing to help Matt clean up in hopes that he might get to know him better. Luckily, he was quite chatty.

“How did you meet Harry?” He asked as they washed dishes together.

Niall shrugged, explaining their circumstances and how Harry had charmed the pants off of him so quickly, and how the brunette had come to him for help the night he’d been attacked.

“So you weren’t a hunter then?” Mathew asked.

Niall shook his head.

“That must have been rough.”

He went on to explain the night that everything simultaneous fell apart, when he’d been less than willingly introduced to the world of hunting. He confessed the hurt he felt, and the eventual decision to follow Harry to avoid being alone again.

“I understand that feeling.” Mathew replied, though his smile was a bit strained.

Niall’s interest had been piqued. “Oh? How did you and Grimmy meet? Are you, _you know_ -”

“We’re not together, if that’s what you’re asking,” he chuckled. “It’s surprising to a lot of people considering how… _flamboyant_ he is, though we’re not a couple. A couple of years ago my girlfriend was possessed by a demon. I didn’t know what to do, or where to turn… Grimmy showed up like some bat out of hell, not so subtly explaining everything to me. I thought he was completely mad, though I went along and helped him when he tried to exorcise her because she was _my_ girlfriend and I needed to help her.” Mathew grabbed the glass Niall offered him and began to dry it. “The demon killed her before we could get her back.”

Niall gasped. “But, if the demon was inside of her, then how could it have killed her?”

Mathew cleared his throat. “When a body is possessed, the soul inside is trapped until it’s vacated. If anything were to happen to that body, something fatal, the demon is fine, though the soul that is still inside gets stuck in a sort of limbo, unable to move on. They are only allowed the right to die once the demon vacates, or is forced out. The demon inside of my girlfriend snapped her neck before we could safely send it back to hell.”

Niall paused what he was doing, staring down in to the murky dishwater. He was unable to find words to say, unable to imagine something that terrible. _That_ part hadn’t been in Gemma’s journal. “Matt, I’m so sorry -”

“It’s okay.” He gave him a nudge with his arm. “It was years ago, I’ve had my time. The moral of this story is that that’s how I happened upon Grimmy, and how we started this whole business. After watching what happened to Elizabeth, he didn’t want to hunt anymore. He’d lost the fire in him that kept him going, I guess. He’s a real piece of work, but under that crazy facade is a pretty delicate human being. He used to look at hunting as some sort of game, like a wild goose chase. His opinions changed that day.”

Niall nodded, rinsing clean the last plate and handing it over to be dried. He drained the water and wiped up the sink, the conversation between them halted. The world around him was becoming darker and darker the further he got, and he was meeting people that he felt copious amounts of sadness and pity for. It was hard to fathom the pain that everyone had seen in their lives and it reminded Niall that Harry himself had experienced that pain.

“Harry is pretty special, eh?” Mathew said suddenly, obviously trying to lighten the somber mood in the kitchen and divert the conversation away from himself.

Niall felt his heart flutter in his chest, unable to keep the blush from his cheeks. “Yeah, I suppose he is.”

  
Matt ended up making them both tea and they talked a bit about themselves. Niall shared stories about Ireland and the things he used to get up to. He didn’t often talk about home. He hadn’t spoken to his family in years, their relationship having become strained when Niall had taken off. He missed them dearly, and sometimes wondered what it would be like to visit some day. If things ever got easier, if his so-called _destiny_ ever fucked off, he thought Harry might enjoy his country. They could stay in Dublin, drive to Mullingar and meet some of Niall’s old friends… It had been ages since he’d talked to anyone, really. It became too hard to keep ties with people, and everyone sort of gave up on him after a while.

At the end of the night, Matt showed Niall to the spare room and he settled in, waiting for Harry to come to bed. He finally stumbled in at half past midnight.

“Are you asleep?” He whispered loudly, struggling out of his pants.

Niall snorted. “No.”

“Good.”

He heard the sound of clothes hitting the floor and then the bed sink under Harry’s weight. He could smell whiskey in the air. “You smell like a brewery.”

“Nick is a bad influence.”

“You told him all about Liamandriel? And our _jobs_?”

“I told him that I think it’s utter bullshit.”

Niall sighed. They had effectively avoided talking a lot about what they had learned that night at Paul’s house. Harry continued to deny any of it as fact, though Niall had a harder time when faced with the message the angel had given them. It seemed too large to pass off as some trick. After all, the angels knew who he was, knew who Harry was, and knew of their pasts.

He felt Harry’s breath on his neck and relaxed, trying to put the whole thing out of his mind. Though, as he was rolled over on to his back on the mattress and Harry’s weight settled over his hips, the familiar feeling of panic began to bubble up inside of him. He could only see the outline of the body above him, and tried to keep his breaths even as Harry leaned down and kissed his jaw.

In his mind he saw flashes of cold, green eyes, and heard the phantom chuckle of the shapeshifter.

“Harry,” he called softly, fisting a handful of the sheets beneath him. All he got in response was a grunt. He felt ghostly hands wrapped tightly around his neck and he took a deep breath, trying to fight the fear clawing at his body. “Harry,” he tried again, gasping. When nothing changed, Niall did the only thing he could and shoved Harry off of him.

“Niall, what -”

“I can’t,” he gasped, immediately sitting up once he was freed. “I’m sorry, I can’t. I can’t breathe.”

Harry was silent for a moment as he laid where Niall had shoved him, drunk and probably a bit confused. “Don’t be sorry, babe,” he said finally.

“Sometimes it’s not so bad,” Niall continued, massaging his face to rid himself of the images tattooed on the back of his eyelids. What he said was true; after all they _had_ fooled around just the day before in the front seat of the car and it had been perfectly fine. It was at night, though, when things turned in to shadowy shapes that it all went to shit in Niall’s mind.

Harry tugged him down beside him and pulled him close, taking up their usual sleeping position. “We’ll get you fixed up,” he mumbled, pressing kisses at the base of his neck.

Niall made a strained sound in his throat. “Am I fucked up?” It was the only logical conclusion he’d been able to come up with over the past month – that he was slowly losing his mind. Sometimes he’d look up at Harry to ask him something, or peer over at him from the passenger seat, and his mind would play terrible tricks on him, twisting what he saw in to a nightmare.

He felt Harry let out a puff of air against his skin. “If you’re fucked up, then I should be committed. You’ll learn how to manage this over time. I promise.”

Niall said nothing more, letting Harry’s drunken words radiate through his mind. He tried to relax, holding tightly to the arm that was draped around his waist. The minutes ticked by and he waited for Harry to fall asleep, though he never did. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol in his system, he was still awake by the time Niall finally drifted off, his fingers tracing patterns on to the skin of his belly.

A sharp knock on their bedroom door the following morning roused them from their less than satisfactory sleep. Harry groaned as the sunlight coming in through their window singed his eyeballs, and Niall burrowed further down under the sheets, wiping some stray drool from his chin.

“Wake up, you love birds!” Grimmy’s voice boomed through the wood. “Seems there’s a job for you.”

“Fuck off!” Harry barked, reaching down to the floor and chucking one of his boots in the direction of the door.

“Alright then, but in two minutes I call Louis, and we all know how well that turned out last time.”

Harry groaned again, cursing under his breath. Louis _hated_ Grimmy, which was odd, because they had hardly spent any amount of time in each other’s presence. However, whenever Harry mentioned his older friend, Louis got ‘the look’ on his face and he knew to just avoid the subject all together.

Harry stumbled out of bed, searching the floor for his discarded clothes. Niall was a bit slower to rise, taking time to stretch all of the kinks out of his body. Harry watched him thoughtfully as he wiggled in to his jeans, glad to see that he looked well rested, at least. The night spent in a real bed had done him well, despite the small episode he’d had in the midst of Harry’s attempt at foreplay. Their money was running out, though Harry would make sure he got them in to a motel room wherever they ended up next. He’d have to remember to hustle some pool or buy in to a back room poker game in the next city.

“You ready for the day?” Harry asked, sliding his belt through the worn out loops.

Niall nodded as he shoved the blankets down and swung his legs out of bed. “I wonder what sort of ‘job’ Grimmy has for us? I was hoping for at least another day to ourselves before we started back up again.”

Harry shrugged. “It’s really hard to say.”

  


“There are demons gathering in Arkansas,” Grimmy announced, triggering a brief silence around the breakfast table.

“I beg your pardon?” Harry asked, shovelling some of the eggs Matt had made in to his mouth.

Grimmy rolled his eyes from across the kitchen, where he was leaning against the countertop. He pulled out his phone and swiped around until he found what he was looking for. “A friend of mine who lives in Little Rock sent me an email this morning asking if I knew anyone that might be able to handle a bit of a situation that is going on down there. He says omens are cropping up, and even though he’s a crazy old bag, he isn’t stupid.”

“What sort of omens?” Harry asked.

Grimmy scrolled some more. “Let’s see… Freak dry electrical storms, some cattle mutilations on nearby farms, and there are parks within the city that are dying, seemingly overnight. Also, there’s a growing number of people going missing. Not just high-risk people, either. Mothers, fathers, pastors… It’s like they’re dropping off the face of the earth.”

Harry sighed heavily. Omens were things that typically happened as a result of the power a demon held. Wherever the demon went, they usually left a trail of something obvious and destructive in their path. Many demons shared similar omens as well, so it was difficult to pin point exactly which demon was residing in a particular location. All the omens Grimmy listed were quite common, though for there to be that many of them was concerning. “Well, I suppose we should go check it out.”

“I’ve never dealt with a demon before,” Niall chimed in, looking a bit wary.

Before Harry could reassure his boyfriend, Grimmy took the chair between the two of them, placing a bundle of fabric down on to the table. Harry watched as he unwrapped it carefully, revealing the handle and accompanying folded steal of a dagger. The weapon looked weathered and old, and very much used.

“What is that, then?” Harry asked.

Grimmy grabbed the knife and held it up, letting it catch the sunlight. “Rumour has it that this, gentlemen, is a blade that can slay a demon.”

There was another moment of silence in the kitchen, in which Harry pondered the small object. He had encountered his fair share of demons in his life, obviously. He had learned from other hunters that the only way to get rid of them was to exorcise them and send them careening back to hell. It was just stupid lore that demons could actually be eliminated for good. “I don’t believe that,” he said simply, taking a sip of his coffee. “Where did you get it?”

Grimmy gave him a shit-eating grin. “Nabbed it off of two brothers that strolled in here a few months back.”

“You _stole_ it?” Niall gasped.

“I took it as payment for them being cocky little shits. They were gorgeous, don’t get me wrong, but terribly rude. Finchy even ok’d the theft, so it’s fine!”

 _'I did no such thing!'_ Mathew called from the living room.

Harry took the knife from his friend, turning it over in his hand. It was very light, much lighter than he’d expected. He’d first thought the hilt was made of wood, but upon further inspection realized it was bone. There was a tiny pentagram etched in to the very bottom of the handle, along with some other undecipherable marks worn away by time.

“I was saving this for you.” Grimmy gestured to it. “Figured you’d be the best candidate to test it out.”

Harry appreciated the sentiment, though it was quite dangerous to play that kind of game. Using a knife meant getting up close and personal with a demon. If it did work it would be an incredible tool to aid him in his hunt, though if it failed, it could mean his life… Or worse, _Niall’s_.

“I’ll take it with me, but there is no guarantee I’m going to use it.”

Nick grinned. “Brilliant.”

Once breakfast was cleaned up, they grabbed their measly belongings from the spare bedroom. Harry took a moment to call Louis, who, as luck would have it, was already on his way to Arkansas. He looked forward to seeing his brother again after nearly a month apart, though he had a bit of a bone to pick with the older boy.

“When were you going to tell me about the demons?” Harry asked, leaning against the hood of the Mustang.

There was a brief pause on the other end. _'I hadn't decided.'_

“Louis,” Harry sighed. “You know that you should have called me…”

There was a heavy sigh. _'I was going to scope it out first. You've got your own shit to deal with, Haz, plus you've got Niall with you.'_

“Don’t worry about Niall, he’s my responsibility. What’s important is that we work together for these sorts of things. I had to hear it from _Grimmy_ -”

Harry heard a disgruntled huff on the other end of the phone. _'You're with Grimmy?'_

He rolled his eyes. “Yes, we drove up yesterday. I’m not entirely sure what you think is so wrong with him, but he knows things. He hears a lot from other hunters and he keeps me informed.” Harry finished the call and shoved his phone in to his pocket. He turned back towards the tavern to see Niall only a few feet away, and rather unimpressed look on his face. Their bags were on the ground at his feet.

Harry knew nothing good could come from that look. “I’m _your_ responsibility, am I?” Niall had a sharp edge to his voice.

Harry closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around a reluctant blond and squeezing him tightly. He wanted a dollar for every time they found themselves having that conversation. “You are, whether you like it or not.”

“You think you can just hug the frustration out of me?” Niall asked, voice muffled by Harry’s t-shirt.

“It’s never let me down before.” Niall didn’t like it when he put too much on his shoulders, but it’s what he’d been doing all of his life, when his family was alive, and even more so since their death. When he’d met Niall, he’d just added him to the collection of people he cared for and, by default, was responsible for.

“Alright, you love birds! Those demons aren’t going to slay themselves! Though Lord knows I wish they would,” Grimmy grumbled as he stomped down the stairs towards them, Matt at his heels. “Good luck out there,” he said quietly, his usual snark all but gone. Harry hated it when he got serious.

“We’ll be fine! Piece of cake.” He pulled Grimmy in for a hug. Beside them, Matt was shaking Niall’s hand, a sympathetic look on his face. Harry knew that he identified with Niall, having not been born in to the hunting life himself. However, unlike Finchy, Niall had become a rather good hunter in such a short amount of time.

“You need to come around more, as well! We don’t see you nearly enough,” Matt added. “Especially now that you’ve got Niall. It’s a lot more pleasant to have you around than it used to be with you and Nick getting completely tanked and sloppy.”

“I wish I could have seen that!” Niall exclaimed with a laugh, nudging Harry with his elbow.

Mathew smirked. “Next time you’re around I’ll show you the videos.”

They said their goodbyes and crawled in to the car, Niall making a joke about maybe letting him drive for once. Harry let him down gently, and then gave him a quick kiss to make sure the air was clear between them. He started the car and grabbed Niall’s hand, linking their fingers together.

“Remember: not your responsibility,” Niall said softly, waving out the window to Matt and Grimmy as they sped off.

Harry gave Niall’s hand a squeeze. _Completely my responsibility_.

———

Little Rock, Arkansas, was a lot bigger than it sounded. Harry hadn’t been there in years, though it looked just like every other generic city he’d visited, with tall sky scrapers, some greenery, and a river cutting through the middle of it. As was their typical routine, they found the shadiest motel they could and checked in, Harry texting Louis the name so he could meet them there.

Harry was rummaging through his bag, in search of his leather jacket (which was still slightly mangled from the Kitsune attack but he refused to replace it), when he stumbled on the bundle of fabric that Nick had given him. He retrieved the knife from it, taking some time to mull it over some more. The reaction was instant, all of Harry’s senses overcome by something foreign.

It was like a dream, though he was awake. He clamped his eyes shut, images flashing on the backs of his eyelids as a searing head ache radiated through his skull. It was like his nightmare back in Aurora, though he knew for a fact that he was wide awake.

_The most obvious thing he saw was a large pyre, constructed in a field. The flames were already alight, shooting high in to the air. There was an overpowering smell of burning flesh, making him want to gag. He could see glimpses of Liamandriel, stood stoically to the side watching the fire. Louis was there, also. Over the sound of cracking wood, Harry could hear the distinct sound of gut-wrenching sobs, filled with more anguish than he’d ever imagined._

“Are you going to use it?” Niall’s voice cut through the onslaught, extinguishing it all. Harry blinked down at the carpet, his head ache completely gone and his vision clear. He took a deep breath and gathered himself, turning to see the blond exiting the bathroom, wiping his neck with a damp facecloth. Though Arkansas in October was manageable as far as temperature was concerned, the eight hour drive there was enough to make anyone feel a bit grimy.

Harry sighed, blinking away traces of leftover images. He remembered the knife clutched in his hand. “I’m not sure, really… I trust Grimmy wholeheartedly, but testing fate with an unknown weapon isn’t really on my to-do list.”

Niall took the blade from him and examined it himself, running the pad of his thumb over the pentagram carved in to the bone. He fingered the steel, though not hard enough to break the skin. “Maybe we ought to just bring it along in case,” he suggested.

Harry shrugged. “You’re probably right.” He’d hid it well, though as they had gotten closer and closer to Arkansas, the feeling of dread in his stomach had grown worse. It wasn’t like a normal adrenaline rush brought on by the hunt. No, it was more of a foreboding feeling, as if he knew something terrible would happen. He didn’t like to immediately set himself up for failure, but there was something not quite right about what they were driving in to. To add to the war in his mind, the last episode he’d had in Aurora had come true when Niall had been attacked, and the only question playing over in his mind was _who they were burning_.

Harry took the knife from Niall and tossed it on to the table, taking his boyfriend in his arms. Niall let a smile spread over his face as his arms circled Harry’s neck, holding him tightly back. Niall was always an amazing distraction, even in the worst of times.

“Hey,” Harry said softly, nose to nose with the blonde.

“Hey, yourself,” Niall murmured in reply, giving him a soft peck on the lips.

Harry took a moment to breathe him in, giving his bum a squeeze. “Oh, all of the things I want to _do_ to you right now…”

“Like what?” Niall chuckled, feigning ignorance to keep the light foreplay going.

Harry as about to reply with something dangerously x-rated, though another voice spoke first. “Like drive you as far away from this city as possible.” The voice belonged to someone Harry had hoped he’d never have to deal with again. In front of him, Niall looked on the verge of cardiac arrest.

Harry turned slowly, keeping Niall behind him as his eyes fell on the frustratingly stunning creature stood by the door. He was dressed exactly the same as he had been before, with a crisp white shirt and expensive leather jacket.

“ _Feathers_ ,” Harry greeted, giving him an insincere smile.

Liamandriel nodded stiffly. “Now, as I was saying, Niall needs to leave this city immediately. You have brought him in to terrible danger.”

“He didn’t ‘bring’ me in to anything!” Niall interrupted, stepping out from behind Harry. “We travel together, and we hunt together.”

“That is of little importance,” Liamandriel said sharply. “The point is that you can’t be here. I can take you somewhere safe -”

“Once again, Niall is not going anywhere with _you_ ,” Harry sighed, folding his arms across his chest. Having the same argument with the angel every time he showed up would no doubt get old quickly.

Instead of a reply, all they got from the celestial being was a grumpy scowl.

“Listen,” Niall began, sounding like the voice of reason. Harry applauded his patience with the angel, because he himself couldn’t stand him. “Have a little faith in us. I believe that we can take care of this just fine without much going wrong. Harry and Louis have a ton of experience, and I’m not doing too badly myself.”

“I don’t care what you _think_ you can accomplish!” The angel stepped towards them, eyes locked on Niall. Harry instinctively stepped between them. “Being a future soldier of heaven, you are exactly what these demons are looking for, and going to that warehouse tonight is like handing yourself over to them. You are vastly outnumbered in this fight! All of them gathering in this city was a trap right from the start ever since you so graciously slapped a target on your back when you started hunting. They were just _waiting_ for you two to take the call so they could eliminate Niall!”

Harry was left speechless as Liamandriel finished his rant, the vein bulging on his forehead retreating as he took a deep breath. He looked genuinely upset about what they had gotten themselves in to, and not as if he were just reciting someone else’s warnings to them.

It was in that moment that Harry reflected on something particular that the angel had said. _Warehouse_. “You know where the demons are!” He exclaimed, pointing a finger to the man’s chest.

“What?” Liamandriel’s eyes narrowed.

Harry grinned mischievously. “When you were losing your cool a second ago you mentioned a warehouse, meaning that you know exactly where these demons are hiding out. So if you could _kindly_ tell us -”

“I will do no such thing!”

Just as Harry was certain they would fall in to some sort of row, there was a knock on the door. Before he could react, Liamandriel raised his hand toward it and made a flicking motion, opening the door with the power that he held within him. Standing awkwardly in the hallway, mid-knock, was Louis. He gave a little wave. “Um, hello.”

“Hello,” Liamndriel replied, traces of a smile on his face as he looked at the shorter man. Harry didn’t like the look one bit.

Louis eyed the angel as he stepped in to the room, a bit apprehensive. He gave both Harry and Niall a hug, dropping his bags on the floor with a thud. “I feel like I always show up at inopportune times. Usually after all of the important stuff has been said, but while the tension is still thick.”

Niall let out a chuckle despite the uncomfortable atmosphere.

“So what’ll it be?” Harry asked, getting right back to business. “You either tell me where these demons are camped out, or you poof yourself out of here.”

“I hardly think you are in any position to be ordering me around, hunter,” Liamandriel seethed, the fight in him far from gone.

“Harry,” Niall called softly, a hand gripping his arm in a weak attempt at keeping him from lunging at the angel. Harry wouldn’t even if he wanted to, considering the fact that he’d ended up as a wall ornament the last time he’d attempted to cross him. He still felt the anger boiling inside of him, though.

“If you are so worried about Niall getting hurt, then why don’t you come with us? Since you’re so high and mighty, why don’t _you_ come and slay some demons, hm?” Harry taunted, hoping his tactic would work. The last thing he wanted was the annoying creature following them around and potentially getting in the way, but if it would shut him up, then he was ready to put up with whatever he had to.

There was a moment of silence in the room as the angel thought, his lips pursed. “It’s not my job to go around destroying demons, it’s yours,” he paused. “But I will help you, as long as you do as I say.”

Harry scoffed. “That is _highly_ unlikely -”

“Babe!” Niall snapped. “Stop being such an asshole.”

Harry looked down at Niall, feeling a bit betrayed. “Fine,” he sighed. “I’ll try and do what you say.”

With the sound of fluttering wings, Liamandriel was gone, though Harry knew for certain that he’d be back.

Louis suddenly clapped his hands together. “Well thank _fuck_ that is over! Now, before we head out and start killing things, I am _starving_!”

Harry sighed. “Language, Lou.”

  


Liamandriel ‘magically’ reappeared roughly an hour later, as the sun was going down and after they had all managed to find some food. Harry found he couldn’t eat much, and took note of the fact that Niall seemed less than enthused about the nourishment as well. Louis was otherwise unfazed, though he typically was ahead of a hunt.

The angel startled them all, as usual, with his sudden entrance, and tried once more to convince them to turn away and drive back to wherever they came from. Harry gave him a firm, less-than-pleasant reply and that was that.

Their next argument was how to get there.

“I can take us all there, you just need to hold on to me,” Liamandriel said carefully, extending an arm towards them. The three of them looked at it skeptically, sharing wary glances.

“I… No,” Niall replied. “I really have no interest in traveling the way that you travel.”

Harry shook his head. “I second that, and I’m definitely not touching you. We’ll drive.”

They all headed out in to the parking lot, choosing to leave Louis’ SUV and travel in the Mustang. Harry rounded the beast and opened up the trunk, going over their inventory of weapons just in case.

“You had a vision, didn’t you?”

Harry jumped as Liamandriel appeared beside him, silent as a fox. “Jesus Christ!” Harry hissed, clutching his heart as it slammed against his ribcage. “Could you just be normal for once?”

As always, the angle ignored him. “You’ve had them before, what did you see?”

Harry gulped, glancing around to see that Louis and Niall were out of ear shot. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, I already know these things. This is an effect from the demon blood inside of you, giving you these images in your mind. The last one you had came true and you’re worried about it this time. Now, _what did you see_?”

Harry hesitated for a moment, the mention of the demon blood making him feel ill. He didn’t want it to be true. “I saw fire… Like, a man-made one. We were burning a body.” He slammed the trunk of the car rather hard.

Without another word, the angel made to walk away, though Harry wasn’t finished. “How do I control it? How do I make them stop?”

Liamandriel paused, keeping his back to him. “You can’t. I’m afraid they’ll only get worse.” Harry was left speechless as the angel climbed in to the back seat of his car.

“I really wish you wouldn’t fight with him so much,” Niall mumbled, coming up beside him and tugging on the sleeve of his leather jacket.

Harry turned on his heel, bringing a hand up to cradle the blonde’s cheek. His eyes looked scared, worry lines creasing his face. He was bundled up in warm clothes given the fall chill sweeping through the city, and in an ideal world Harry would have wrapped him up and had a nap with him. “I’m sorry,” he said finally, pressing a kiss to Niall’s forehead. “He irritates me, and I don’t trust him. But we weren’t arguing just now, we were talking.”

“Well that’s a start,” Niall smiled softly. “You have trouble trusting anyone. I honestly think he’s here to help us, but regardless, this is important and we need to work together. If anything goes wrong tonight -”

“Nothing will go wrong,” Harry cut him off. “They’re just demons! They hiss at holy water and usually run away as soon as you start spitting latin at them. They sound bad, but they are hardly anything to worry about.”

Niall looked less than convinced at Harry’s reassurance, but he climbed in to the passenger seat of the car regardless. Harry climbed in on his own side, Louis and the majestically ignorant creature cozy in the seat behind him. He adjusted the rear-view mirror so he could keep a close eye on him, and Liamandriel gave him a steady glare in return.

“Are we all set? Everyone’s used the toilet and has their snacks with them?” Harry sang, firing up the engine with a roar. He felt Louis kick his seat and he skidded out of the parking lot, on the way to the city’s industrial park.

  
———

In typical fashion, the warehouse that the angel led them to was old and abandoned, with barely any windows left intact. Harry found it amazing that monsters had such theatrical tastes when it came to choosing their hideouts. He always felt like he was on some sort of movie set.

Harry had made sure that he had his flask of holy water tucked safely in the inside pocket of his jacket. He had an exorcism written on his arm just in case he forgot anything, and Louis had a can of spray paint in case the need for a devil’s trap arose, as well as a rifle filled with salt rounds. Harry had also placed Grimmy’s gift in his boot, where his normal knife usually stayed. It was a bit big, and chafed against his leg but it was bearable enough. He’d given Niall a rod made of pure iron, which would help to keep a demon at bay until they could do something with it.

They approached the building carefully, as not to attract any attention. However, as they neared the door, Liamandriel stopped.

“What is it?” Louis asked.

“I can’t enter here. It’s warded against angels.” The angel looked up at the building rather accusingly.

Niall screwed up his face. “Warded?”

Liamandriel nodded. “They must have known I was coming. They painted spells on the walls inside to keep me out.”

Harry frowned as a battle cropped up in his mind. On one hand, it was an easy way to ditch the angel. On the other, though, was the little voice in his head telling him that having him around would be beneficial, especially because they didn’t know what they were walking in to. “Louis,” Harry called, gesturing towards his brother. “Find the spells on the walls and destroy them so Tinkerbell here can join us.” Liamandriel sent him a scowl as Louis swung his gun over his shoulder, heading in to dark building to begin his task. Harry gave Niall a nod and together they followed the shorter boy in, heading in an opposite direction.

The building was dingy and damp, and all of the holes in the exterior let in a steady draft. The only sound that could be heard was the drip of water somewhere in the distance and the disgusting scurry of rats traveling in the walls.

“Do you think they’ll all attack at once?” Niall asked, eyes continuously scanning his surroundings. There was a tremble in his shoulders.

Harry nodded slowly in the midst of his own observations. “They’ll want to catch us off guard, that’s for certain. They are sadistic little bastards.”

As they continued down hallways and through larger, open areas, Harry became more and more suspicious as to why they had yet to encounter anything remotely supernatural. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand, the silence carefully eating away at his own sanity. Every shadow, every creak sent his nerves in to a tail spin.

They were somewhere in the middle of the building, in a main production area surrounded by machines when everything fell apart. Niall had wandered off to search another part of the room, forcing them to separate. Harry had thought it a bad idea, and as soon as he heard Niall’s cry, he knew it for certain.

“Niall!” Harry shouted, taking off in the direction he heard his voice. He weaved his way around broken down machinery, hurdling over pipes and abandoned spare parts. He finally found Niall in a back office off of the main room, a red-headed demon standing before him. Niall had a cut above his eye, the cast iron rod held tightly in his hand. Before Harry could even think of approaching, he was thrown backwards, slamming in to a nearby work bench. The pain blinded him as he crumpled to the floor, the distinct sound of footsteps coming towards him.

“You thought it would be that easy?” A deep voice chided. Harry groaned, cracking open his eyes to see a blurred figure looming over him. “Not so strong now, are you, hunter?” He felt a firm hand wrap around his throat and haul him off of the floor in one pull. The demon attacker was wearing the body of a dark-skinned man, eyes black as night.

As Harry’s air supply rapidly diminished, he could hear the sounds of a struggle across the room, and his thoughts turned to the knife hiding in his boot. In one swift move he grabbed for it, plunging it in to the gut of the creature in front of him. He held his breath, hoping with all hope that it had an effect. Sure enough, as he watched, glowing red currents coursed through the demon’s body, black eyes turning back to normal and becoming lifeless. The hand around Harry’s throat slid away, the body dropping to the floor with a thud. The knife had _worked_. Harry retrieved it from the corpse and turned on his heel, sights set on helping Niall.

What he found made him freeze in his tracks: the demon from before had Niall clutched tightly in it’s arms, his body completely limp. Harry felt his heart wrench as reality came crashing down around him.

“He put up a good fight,” the demon teased. “Just not good enough.”

“Take your filthy hands off of him!” Harry growled, raising the knife in his hand. “You know what this will do!”

“Ah, ah, ah!” The demon tutted, brandishing his own knife and pressing it to Niall’s exposed throat. “I wouldn’t do anything if I were you.” Harry tensed and lowered his hand. “I would like to thank you for bringing us exactly what we want, Mr. Styles, but I really should be going.”

“No!” Harry screamed, dashing forward as the demon vanished, taking Niall with it. In it’s place three more demons appeared, ready for a fight. Having no other choice, Harry remained on the offensive, tired, but with a new sense of motivation.

  
———

Niall could hear the steady dripping noise from before when he awoke. He was shivering slightly, laying on the cold concrete floor of what appeared to be a large storage room. As his eyes traveled around, he took in all of the boxes stacked against the walls, no doubt left behind when the company that used the building went out of business.

His head was sore, and he carefully reached up to press his fingers to the bleeding wound on his forehead. He hissed as it stung, and quickly removed the pressure. As he rolled himself on to his side, the room around him tipped and lurched from his slight vertigo. He steadied himself as best he could, taking deep breaths to fight the nausea swirling around inside of him.

He didn’t quite remember what had happened, but one thing he was certain of: he was no longer with Harry. However, he also wasn’t alone.

“Skip the dramatics and show yourself,” he barked, scanning the room for any sign of life. He couldn’t see anything, but he _knew_ that they were there, watching him. “I’m not just some animal that you can play around with.”

He waited with baited breath, listening for something, _anything -_

“You aren’t at all what he said you’d be, little one.”

The voice that spoke was smooth, and sent a shiver down Niall’s spine. It made his breath catch in his throat, triggering a flood of memories in his mind that he’d finally been able to forget. Visions of hot nights and lazy mornings, accompanied with a faint sting of heartbreak and loneliness. It was a familiar voice, a voice he hadn’t heard in more than a _year._

Niall sat up fully when he heard the sound of boots against the floor behind him. His heart raced as he tried to convince himself to turn around, to look at whoever was coming towards him. It didn’t make sense, the demon was playing tricks, he _must_ have been playing _tricks_ -

“You’re not even going to say hello?” The voice continued, footsteps halting a few feet away.

Niall swallowed hard, feeling the overwhelming feeling of tears rush to his eyes. Ever so slowly he turned, blunt fingernails digging in to the concrete beneath him. His eyes fell on the figure standing behind him, the image of someone he thought he’d never lay eyes on again. It felt like a stab to the heart. He opened his mouth, only one thing spilling from his lips.

“ _Zayn_?”


End file.
